April 28, 2006
Results
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State track and field athlete Laura Kennedy already qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional the first time she ran the 3,000-meter steeplechase this season at the Saluki Spring Classic, however today at the 97th Annual Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Kennedy bested her previous time in the event by nearly 15 seconds for fourth-place and also broke her own school record.
Kennedy ran the steeplechase in 10:23.15. In 2005 she set the previous record at 10:47.21.
Andrea Mosher finished the 400-meters in seventh-place with a time of 60.07. This was the first time Mosher competed in the hurdles and she now holds the third fastest time in the Missouri Valley Conference in the event. Her time also qualifies her for the NCAA Mideast Regional. In the 4x400-meter relay, Mosher also led the `Birds, along with teammates Cherise Devers, Anna Lovell and Lian Lucas, to a time of 3:44.78, which was the 11th fastest time.
Head coach Elvis Forde was very pleased with Kennedy's performance, as well as Mosher's.
"Laura's race was the highlight of the day," said Forde. "She did very well and to break the record like she did was outstanding. I was also glad to see Andrea get back in the 400-meter hurdles and run a regional qualifying time. All in all, we had a pretty good."
The women's 4x200-meter relay of Devon Williams, Brianna Officer, Lovell and Kyndra Curtin were fifth in a time of 1:37.15, while the men's 4x800-meter, Dan Tripp, Geoff Houtman, Jeremy Doherty and Bronco Meeks, ran a time of 7:28.25 for seventh-place.
Lucas and Williams both ran in the prelims of the 100-meter dash, but failed to move on to the finals. However, the duo will be seen tomorrow in the finals of the 4x100-meter relay. Williams, Lovell, Devers and Lucas slipped into the finals with the eighth fastest time in 45.95.
Putting together a distance medley relay team for the first time this season, Betsy McDonald, Officer, Whitney Beals and Suzy Turner comprised the women's relay squad and placed ninth in a time of 11:54.80.
Other top performances from the men's team include DeAndre Tillman, Geoff Houtman, Maxwell Mkwezalamba and Bronco Meeks' season-best performance in the 4x400-meter relay. The relay team ran the eighth fastest time in 3:11.58 to secure a spot in the finals Saturday.
Luke Heinrichs, Jeremy Johnson, DeAndre Tillman and Maxwell Mkwezalamba teamed up in the 4x100-meter relay. The squad turned in the 13th fastest time of 41.72. Jeremy Johnson also came back to compete in the 100-meters and placed 23rd in 11.13.
Saturday's events will begin at 10 a.m.
